Photo/Illutration A pedestrian walks with an open umbrella beside hydrangea flowers in Tokyo on June 10. (Takayuki Kakuno)

The early summer rainy season likely started in the Kanto-Koshin and Hokuriku regions, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on June 10.

The agency also warned against the risk of rain-related disasters on the southern island of Kyushu the same day, saying that stationary bands of heavy rain could develop over the prefectures of Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita and Kumamoto.

The JMA said heavy rains accompanied by thunder are expected in western and eastern Japan through around June 11, mainly in regions where the rainy season has already set in.

Warm, moist-laden air will flow toward the rain front stalled around the main island of Honshu, making atmospheric conditions extremely unstable, officials said.

The agency cautioned against landslides, river flooding and low-lying areas being submerged.

In the 24 hours through 6 a.m. on June 11, up to 180 millimeters of rain are expected in the northern Kyushu region, 150 mm in the Kinki region and 120 mm in the Chugoku and southern Kyushu regions.

In the Kanto-Koshin region, which includes Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures, the rainy season started 11 days earlier than last year but three days later than the recent average.

The rainy season started in the northern Kyushu and Shikoku regions on June 8 and in the Chugoku, Kinki and Tokai regions on June 9.

As the rain front moved northward, the rainy season had already ended in the Okinawa region on June 8.

Related News